Pay telephone

Abstract

A currency operated telephone, such as a coin operated telephone, and which is typically referred to as "pay telephone", having a uniquely designed outer housing capable of being wall mounted or supported in an upright or a self-standing position. The telephone housing has an openable hinged closure plate or so-called "flip lid", which carries on its exterior a face plate, and when opened, allows access to the interior of the telephone housing. The exterior of the face plate is arranged so that any information carried thereon is ergonomically visible to a user, whether the telephone is wall suspended or in a stand-alone surface supported position. When the closure plate is lifted and held in the opened position, direct access to a coin mechanism is obtained and access to a coin box, which collects the deposited currency for operation of the telephone, is also enabled. A coin return chute is also integral with the coin mechanism, such that installation and/or repair of the mechanism is easily enabled. Essentially all of the electronics for the telephone is mounted on a circuit board located on the inside of the closure plate and directly connects to a push button switch dialing mechanism on the closure plate of the telephone, such that easy repair or maintenance of the electronics and/or dialing mechanism is also easily enabled.

Having thus described the invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is: 
     
       1. A telephone set constructed for readily accessible assembly or servicing of operating components in the interior of said set, said telephone set comprising: a) an outer housing having an interior compartment with operating components in the interior compartment of said outer housing;   b) means forming an enlarged access opening leading into the interior compartment and the operating components therein;   c) an outer closure panel disposable over said access opening closing off access to the interior compartment when in a closed position;   d) a hinge mechanism associated with said closure panel allowing said closure panel to be shifted upwardly about a hinge axis to a fully opened position and automatically locked in the open position and back downwardly to a closed position over said access opening; and   e) said housing having an elongate slit receiving an arm on said hinge means and allowing said arm to extend into and through said slit allowing rockable non-slidable movement of the hinge means at the slit and which permits said hinge mechanism to become fully disengaged from said housing and separated from said housing when said closure panel is rotated slightly about an axis angulated away from the hinge axis of the hinge means relative to said housing.   
     
     
       2. The telephone set of claim 1 further characterized in that said hinge mechanism comprises: a) an elongate slit in said housing;   b) an arm extendable through an elongate slit in said housing and having a portion of said arm secured to and movable with said panel; and   c) hook means on an end of said arm and engaging a member on said housing to lock in the fully closed position on said housing and to also hold the panel is in the fully opened position.   
     
     
       3. The telephone set of claim 1 further characterized in that said hinge mechanism comprises: a) an elongate slot formed in said housing;   b) an arm extendable through an elongate slit in said housing and having a portion of said arm secured to and movable with said panel; and   c) a hook on an end of said arm and extending outwardly from said arm and being located inwardly with respect to said housing; and   d) a depending tab associated with said member and being located to engage said hook when the panel is in a closed position with respect to the access opening but being of such size so that said hook can be removed therefrom when said panel is rocked upwardly toward an open position.   
     
     
       4. The telephone set of claim 1 further characterized in that said arm is located to be engagable with said tab when said panel has been shifted to an open position to then hold the panel in the open position. 
     
     
       5. The telephone set of claim 1 further characterized in that said arm is shiftable in said slot away from said tab to enable said panel to be rocked downwardly toward a closed position, said slot being sized so that said panel can be rotated slightly with respect to said housing allowing the arm and hook to be completely removable from said blot thereby allowing complete removal of said panel from said housing. 
     
     
       6. A pay telephone constructed to enable easy access to the interior of said telephone for maintenance and repair, and for also gaining access to currency deposited therein, and also for closing the telephone with a single locking and unlocking action, said telephone comprising: a) an outer housing having an interior for receiving certain operating components therein;   b) a front wall on said outer housing;   c) an enlarged access opening in said front wall leading into the interior of said housing and the operating components therein;   d) a cover plate disposed over said enlarged access opening for closing said interior precluding access therein and providing access to the interior when removed from the closed position;   e) a currency box in the interior of said housing for receiving a currency during operation of said telephone;   f) means holding said currency box in said interior of said housing until manually removed therefrom; and   g) lock means connecting said cover plate to said housing and permitting said cover plate to be locked relative to said opening to said currency box thereby precluding access to the interior or to the currency box until said lock means is authorizedly opened.   
     
     
       7. The pay telephone of claim 6 further characterized in that said means holding said currency box is a lip on said currency box engagable in a slot on said housing so that the box can be releasably locked in said interior of said housing until manually removed therefrom. 
     
     
       8. The pay telephone of claim 7 further characterized in that said lock means has a portion fitted into and through said currency box and locking to the currency box through the front of the housing and that an additional retaining means in said housing holds said currency box on a base of said housing. 
     
     
       9. The pay telephone of claim 8 further characterized in that said currency box is a coin currency box. 
     
     
       10. A telephone set constructed so that it can be wall mounted on a supporting structure or supported on a relatively flat generally horizontal surface, said telephone set comprising: a) an outer housing having an interior compartment;   b) an upwardly and rearwardly inclined front wall on said housing and which is inclined at an angle of between about 45° to about 50°;   c) means forming an enlarged access opening in said front wall and leading into the interior compartment;   d) an outer closure panel disposed over said access opening and being located at an angle of between about 45° to about 50°; and   e) a printed message information section on said closure panel and being relatively visible when said housing is located in either a wall mounted position or generally horizontally disposed surface.   
     
     
       11. The telephone set of claim 10 further characterized in that a touch tone dialing pad is on said closure plate and is readily accessible by a user in either position. 
     
     
       12. The telephone set of claim 10 further characterized in that a hook switch is also mounted on said closure plate for receiving a handset of the telephone. 
     
     
       13. A telephone set constructed for readily accessible assembly or servicing of operating components in the interior of said set, said telephone set comprising: a) an outer housing having an interior compartment with operating components in the interior compartment of said outer housing;   b) means forming an enlarged access opening leading into the interior compartment and the operating components therein;   c) an outer closure panel disposable over said access opening closing off access to the interior compartment when in a closed position;   d) a hinge mechanism associated with said closure panel allowing said closure panel to be shifted upwardly about a hinge axis to a fully opened position and automatically locked in the open position and back downwardly to a closed position over said access opening;   e) said housing having an elongate slit receiving an arm on said hinge means and allowing said arm and the hinge mechanism to become fully disengaged from said housing and separated from said housing when said closure panel is rotated slightly relative to said housing;   f) an arm extendable through an elongate slit in said housing and having a portion of said arm secured to and movable with said panel;   g) a hook on an end of said arm and extending outwardly from said arm and being located inwardly with respect to said housing; and   h) a depending tab associated with said member and being located to engage said hook when the panel is in a closed position with respect to the access opening but being of such size so that said hook can be removed therefrom when said panel is rocked upwardly toward an open position.   
     
     
       14. A pay telephone apparatus constructed for readily accessible assembly or servicing of operating components in the interior of said apparatus, said telephone apparatus comprising: a) an outer housing having an interior compartment with operating components in the interior compartment of said outer housing;   b) means forming an enlarged access opening leading into the interior compartment and the operating components therein;   c) an outer closure panel disposable over said access opening closing off access opening to the interior compartment when in a closed position;   d) a hinge mechanism associated with said closure panel allowing said closure panel to be shifted upwardly about a hinge axis to a fully opened position and automatically locked in the open position and back downwardly to a closed position over said access opening;   e) said housing having an elongate slit receiving an arm on said hinge means and allowing said arm to extend into and through said slit allowing rockable non-slidable movement of the hinge means at the slit and which permits said hinge mechanism to become fully disengaged from said housing and separated from said housing when said closure panel is rotated slightly about an axis angulated away from the hinge axis of the hinge means relative to said housing;   f) a dialing mechanism mounted on said closure panel for introducing a dialing signal and having a plurality of push button switches located externally on said closure panel;   g) a touch tone generator associated with said dialing mechanism and located interiorly in said interior compartment;   h) a circuit board containing substantially all of the electronic circuitry necessary for operation of said telephone apparatus and also including said tone generator;   i) means associated with said circuit board carrying the tone generator and the push button switches and which tone generator directly, physically and electrically connects with the electronic circuitry on said circuit board such that lanyard circuitry connecting the electronic circuitry to the tone generator is not required;   j) a currency box for receiving coin or paper currency located in the interior of said housing and which receives coin or paper currency during an operation of the telephone apparatus;   k) means holding said currency box in said interior of said housing until manually removed therefrom;   l) lock means connecting said closure panel to said housing and permitting said closure panel to be locked relative to the interior to preclude any access to the currency box and precluding access to the interior of the housing or the currency box until said lock means is authorizedly opened;   m) said closure panel also having an inclined frontwall at an angle of about 45° to 50°;   n) means forming an enlarged access opening in said closure panel and leading into the interior compartment;   o) said closure panel being disposed over said access opening and being located at an angle of about between 45° to 50°;   p) an information section on said closure panel and being visible when the housing is located in an either wall mounted position or generally horizontally disposed surface;   q) a recessed formed in a front face of said closure panel and having upper and lower movement limiting edges; and   r) a coin return release lever mounted in said recess for movement to enable a return of coin currency and where movement of said lever is limited by said upper and lower movement limiting edges.